Scores of religious state schools could be set up in Yorkshire by parents, local communities or religious groups under a Tory government with “formidable checks” in place to stop the spread of extremism. The Conservatives want to make it easier for parents, charities and trusts to set up their own new schools to meet the needs of local communities.
Shadow Schools’ Secretary Michael Gove told the Yorkshire Post his party would welcome the creation of new religious schools and accepted that the policy could lead to an increase in Islamic state schools being funded in areas of West Yorkshire. However he dismissed fears that such a move could lead to further segregation or extremism in the region.
“The reality is that parents who want to can send their children to an independent Islamic school, can send them to madrassahs for religious teaching after school and many pupils will be attending schools where de-facto segregation already exists. We want to meet the rights of parents to give their children a faith-based education in accordance with their Islamic beliefs while at the same time ensuring that these schools are properly run and promoting the values of a modern Britain.”
